Monty Tech principal pleads guilty in NH case

Saturday

Dec 28, 2013 at 6:00 AMDec 28, 2013 at 9:02 PM

By Paula J. Owen TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

FITCHBURG — Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Principal Nicholas DeSimone, who crashed a school-owned truck in Mason, N.H., in late September, pleaded guilty in court Dec. 19 to reckless operation of a vehicle, according to officials in Milford District Court in New Hampshire. The drunken driving charge against him was dropped, they said.

He was ordered to pay a fine of $620, and his license was revoked for 60 days, starting Dec. 19.

Police found Mr. DeSimone, 42, of 20 Pierce Road, Ashburnham, Mass., in a yellow 1965 Chevrolet pickup truck that he crashed into a stone wall and then drove down a shallow embankment about 4:30 p.m. Sept. 29.

Mason police obtained a search warrant to access Mr. DeSimone's hospital records, which were sent to the state's crime lab to determine Mr. DeSimone's blood alcohol content level the night he crashed the truck. Mason police could not immediately be reached for comment on the result of those tests.

Mr. DeSimone was on paid medical leave for four weeks after the accident and then on paid administrative leave until he returned to work Nov. 15.

School Committee members criticized Superintendent-Director Steven C. Sharek's handling of the issue and alleged the superintendent left them in the dark.

Neither the superintendent nor Mr. DeSimone could be reached for comment Friday, but Mr. Sharek said previously the outcome of the court case could affect any disciplinary actions taken against Mr. DeSimone.

School Committee members also said they planned to review the school's policies on use of school-owned equipment off school property.

Contact Paula Owen at paula.owen@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @PaulaOwenTG.